Imaginary Friend
by blackXheart
Summary: AU: What if Sakura's imaginary friend, wasn't so imaginary? GaaraXSakura
1. Meeting you

My name is Haruno Sakura. I am six-years-old and I'm training to become the first ninja in my family. I started school today. So far, it's the worst day of my life.

The other kids laughed at me because I have a big forehead. I felt embarrassed, and quickly pulled my bangs to forward to cover my eyes, that were quickly, but unnoticeably, filling with tears. Not wanting to have my classmates see me cry, I ran over to the trees and sat down behind one so no one could see me.

The tears I had tried to stop, fell. I knew it was stupid to cry, a ninja never cries. But I'm only six, emotions overcome me quickly. What was I to do? This was the day that everyone knew everyone. If no one would play with me now, who would play with me tomorrow? Would I be alone forever? If only someone would be my friend...

That is when I heard a voice coming from the trees around me. "Girl, why do you cry?" I sniffled and looked up, only to see nothing. I looked around slowly, trying to find the source of the quite voice. No one was there.

"Girl, I do not repeat myself." I jumped at the irritated sound in his voice, but answered.

"I'm crying cause all the other kids were laughing at me." Another tear rolled down my cheek. "That's a stupid reason to cry. Lots of people will laugh at you over your life time. Get use to it now, instead of later. That only makes it harder."

I sniffled again, still trying to locate the position of the person speaking to me. "Who are you?" There! A bush to my left was shaking, I stood and walked toward it.

"I am a friend." A gust of wind shook the tall trees around me, and blew the small bush away, I stared at the spot where I had thought my new friend was. Where was he? He almost seemed invisible, like a ghost, or an angel, or a very shy boy.

"Will you come talk to me again tomorrow?" The voice chuckled softly, almost silently.

"Of course. What kind of friend would I be otherwise?" Even though I could not see him, I could hear his smile. So I smiled all around me, hoping he would see it.

"Children! Come inside now!" I heard my new sensei calling to us. I frowned. I just got a friend! I don't want to go in yet! I still wanted to see him!

"You have to go." The soft voice said sadly.

"Don't you go to the school?" I was confused, I was hoping this person would come sit with me during class.

"No, I don't." I hung my head sadly. "Sakura, you need to go now, before you're late." I didn't notice he knew my name.

"Hai." I started to walk back into the direction of the school, but I turned back around to address the voice.

"Before I go, what's your name?" The boy chuckled again.

"My name is Gaara." I smiled and ran back to the school. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all, now that I had my new best friend.

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**Just something that came to me.**

**Preview:**

_"Hey Sakura, who were you talking to?"_

_"I'm talking to my best friend Gaara!"_

_"But there's no one here."_

**Review if you think I should continue.**

**blackXheart**


	2. Always with me

**---Six years later---**

Today I would meet my new sensei with my new team. Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. I couldn't wait until I arrived, I had so slow my pace several times to keep from showing up all sweaty and gross.

Gaara seemed to think that I had focused my mind to much on my new teammate, Sasuke, but he thought like that anytime I was around boys.

"Boys run only on hormones." He had said. I just laughed. We were the best of friends ever since that day at the school. I still haven't seen him though, but he is always there for me. Although I wish he would talk to me around other people so they would believe me.

They all say that I'm crazy and should be put on some kind of medication. I just turn and go talk to Gaara, almost to prove to myself that he's real. But, what I found so interesting was, that no matter where I was, he would always be around for me to talk to.

When I was walking toward the school room that I had been told me meet my sensei in, I heard that oh so familiar voice coming from somewhere above me.

"I don't know why you're in a hurry, you're just going to be stuck that the Uzumaki idiot." I smirked to myself, today I felt like irking Gaara just a bit.

"But it's not him who I'm looking forward to meeting today." I grinned. "Sasuke is on my team, and is the hottest guy _ever_." Gaara knew I liked him a little, but I guess is was a sore subject, since sand started to follow me as a I walked. Gaara has the amazing ability to control sand. Something about his birth, he had never really talked about himself that much. He said there was nothing to tell.

"Must we talk about him? He annoys me." Gaara said angrily. "But I thought I annoyed you? Are you replacing me?" I smiled really big, he would know I was teasing. That's what was so great about him.

"Hn." Gaara 'hn-ed'. I never really understood what he meant when he... um... said that? Was it even a word? I shook myself from my thoughts as I approached the right classroom. Inside were Naruto and Sasuke in the middle of a glaring contest. I just rolled my eyes and walked to a seat in the front.

After awhile, Naruto and Sasuke began a shouting contest, I just plopped my head on the desk and prayed to whoever was up 'there', to please end the torture soon.

I blessed the person who answered me when they quieted down, now Naruto was sneaking over the door with an eraser in hand.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" I asked him, slightly annoyed. He just grinned and placed the eraser over the door. "That will teach our sensei to be late!" He hopped back to his seat near the window and, for once, sat still.

_tick tock_

_tick tock_

_tick tock_

**"That clock on the wall is getting very annoying..."** I jumped out of my seat at the sound of Gaara. _'What's he doing? Can't they hear?' _I snuck a peak at my teammates and, thankfully, they hadn't moved at all.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" I hissed softly around me, not know what direction he was in. I heard him chuckle. **"They can't hear me Sakura, I'm talking in your mind."**

_'How can he do that?'_ I thought myself, at least I thought I did.

**"It's something I was born with." **(1)

_'Really? Interesting. How come you never used it before?' _

**"There was never a need."**

I snapped out of my conversation, when the door opened, dropping Naruto's prank right on the person who I assumed was our sensei.

"I can't believe he fell for that." I said more to Gaara then anyone else. **"Indeed." **Naruto just laughed until he fell out of his chair. Our 'sensei' ran his hand through his silver hair to shake out the chalk dust before he walked fully into the room, and stared at us for a few moments. (2) Strange, he wore a black mask over his face, and his hitai-ate covered his left eye. How mysterious.

"Yo." He said with a small wave. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, your new sensei." Great, this guy was to be my teacher? He wouldn't be able to win at hide-and-seek! How were we supposed to learn how defend ourselves? Naurto seemed to think the same thing, for he complained loudly for a long time. I just spaced out until Kakashi-sensei took us outside.

"All right, I want to hear your name, your likes and dislikes, and your dreams."

_'This guy must be crazy! There is no way that I'm saying anything!'_

"You, with the pink hair. You can go first."

_'Shit.'_

"Well... My name is Haruno Sakura. I like..." _'Well, I can't really say what I like now can I?' _To throw them all off, I forced a blush and glanced over at Sasuke. It's not that I didn't like him. I did, I just would rather not say what I liked out loud. So I continued with the next question.

"... And I dislike people who don't believe in others, and my dream is to become a great kunoichi."

**"Is that really your dream, Sakura?" **I hesitated, but why shouldn't that be my dream? I needed to become strong, I hated being weak. I just wanted to be like everyone else.

_'Yes. It is.'_

**"I can help you." **I was shocked. Gaara, help me? He'd never offered to help me with anything before, this was great! I could get training from Kakashi-sensei, and Gaara! But wait...

_'You can? How? Why?'_ No way it could be that easy!

**"I want to help you reach you're dream. I could teach you many things." **I bit my lip, why shouldn't I? Gaara is my best friend!

_'You promise?' _He chuckled

**"Promise."** I smiled.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" I jumped up when Naruto shouted in my ear. "Naurto! You idiot! That's my ear!" He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Ne, sorry Sakura-chan. I called you're name a few times and you didn't even move!" I blushed when I realized that I'd missed the rest of our teams fellowship time. Oh well, right? It's not _that_ important.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

When Kakashi-senesi dismissed us, I rushed to the nearest training ground, hoping Gaara could train me now so I would be somewhat ready for tomorrow's train with my team.

"Gaara! I know you're there! Let's start! I'm ready!"

Silence.

_'That's weird...' _So I tried again. "Gaara! This isn't funny!"

Only the wind answered.

A twig broke to my left, I quickly snapped my head in that direction, only to see nothing. _'It was just nothing! Ha ha, just your imagination, Sakura. Get a grip!' _Now leaves to my right were rustling, I turned all the way around, my eyes scanning the foliage surrounding me. _'See? You're just paranoid.'_

Great, now the leaves in front of me were moving. What ever kind of joke this was, it wasn't funny! The rustling grew louder, and louder.

"Gaara! For the last time! Stop fooling around!"

Two branches were pushed aside to reveal...

Naruto pulling Sasuke.

I slumped my shoulders as my slight adrenaline wound down. Naruto just grinned like the idiot he was.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. What are you doing?" I just rolled my eyes and muttered, "Training." His face was priceless. "But, we're allowed to go home. Why are you training?"

I was about to answer him when Sasuke interrupted our conversation.

"Hey Sakura, who were you talking to?" I smirked, telling them might make them leave so Gaara would come. It's not like they would believe me anyway.

"I'm talking to my best friend Gaara!" I said, giving them the creepiest grin that I could.

"But there's no one here." Naruto pointed out.

"Well, I have never seen him. But he's there." Sasuke just stared at me like I was crazy, and Naruto squinted. "Ohhh." Was all they said.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. Can we train with you?" Inwardly, I was ranting and raving, with the occasional, _'Nooooo!' _and _'When hell freezes over!'_ thrown in there. So, I just backed up slowly. "Gee, Naruto. I would love too! But look at the time," I glanced down at my wrist, hoping he wouldn't notice I didn't have a watch. "I should be getting home! Bye!" I turned and ran full force toward my house.

However, I didn't notice jade green eyes that followed me all the way home.

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**AN: I hope this was longer. Sorry about taking so long to update. A lot of stuff has happened. Thanks to Gin-inu for being my first reveiwer.**

**(1) I'm not sure if Gaara has this ability, but in my story he does! **

**(2) Also, I haven't seen the episode where they met Kakashi, so I don't know if that's how it went or not. Please forgive me!**

**Also thanks too: Gin-inu, **Heartlessful**, JUCHKO, **Mind At Loss**, terra, **DarkAngelB**, SweetAssassin, **SilverSimoneLady**, Magical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-Rubber-Duckies-Who-Lives-On-Durly-Lane-With-The-Muffin-Man-Duck-And-His-Muffin-Friends-Who-Rock-Solid-Rock, **Shawn-chan**, moonshine and mustard seed, **LostsoulofRegret**, Dark Pyro Kiarra, **Hao'sAnjul**, Gina01,** w1cked angel**, Silent Kunoichi aka. Fiona McKinnon, **AnimeSenko**, wolf girl88, **windborne**, Ali-Baba123, **Blizzie-chan**, Heartless Ghost, **and chobbix

**You guys are wonderful for taking time to read my story, I really appreciate it. A generally asked question was if the characters would grow older, as you can see by this chapter, they will. The next chapter will be then they are either 18 or 20.**

**Preview:**

_"Sasuke! Why are you here?"_

_"Yes," A shadowed figure stepped in front of Sakura. "Why _are _you here?"_

**Review, flame if you wish. They just make me mad, then add to my depression.**

**Also, I may not be able to update every week or two. You see, my sister is having a baby soon, so I'll be living with her for awhile.**

**Thanks again.**

**blackXheart**


	3. Surprise?

**---Three years later--- (I lied in the last chapter, disregard preview)**

I sat in shock as I watched my overly hyper friend consume his fifteenth bowl of ramen. I guess I shouldn't be shocked, since he does it all the time, but still. It's quite a site to see. I mean, come on! You'd think that all the nonstop ramen going into his body would have some bad affects. But he still grew, he still had energy, he still bugged the shit out of me and Sasuke, he still learned... wait.

Ah. That's what it was.

I smothered a snicker behind my hand as I finally shed light onto a great mystery. But unfortunately my hand motion caught Naruto's attention.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?" He asked as he wiped some broth that dribbled down his chin. "What's so funny?" How could I put it lightly? He reminded me of a five-year-old? Nah, I don't think he'd take to that very kindly.

"Nothing." I said with a smile. He just shrugged and turned back to his precious.

Ah, Naruto was so gullible.

Well, that was enough of a break. "Hey, Naruto. I'm gonna head back to the training grounds for a bit." He just nodded his head as he continued to stuff his face. I laid down enough money to pay for my bowl and left Ichiraku. (sp?)

Humming softly to myself, I began to walk toward my special training ground where Gaara had taught me since I was twelve. It was far away from anything, so we wouldn't be disturbed.

_Gaara..._

He had been acting weird lately. Only coming to talk to me during training. It had started a year ago, when I started to hang out a little more with my team. I hope he wasn't angry. I mean, I had to have other friends too, and he was the one ignoring me! I tired to reason with him, but he wasn't in the best of moods at the time. So I just dropped the subject and never picked it up again.

Shaking my thoughts from my head, I realized that I had reached my destination, so I calmly called for my 'sensei.'

"GAARA!" Birds flew from the surrounding trees.

"Woman, you will refrain from yelling. I am right here." I giggled slightly. "But Gaara-kun, how was I supposed to know if you were here or not?" When silence met my answer, I knew he didn't want to argue today.

I sighed. I hated when he was like this! We never talked about anything anymore, unless it had to do with training. What was with him?

"So, all-knowing one. What shall we do today?" I asked as I began to prepare by doing some light stretches.

"Work on your target-practice. Your aim is off." I sighed very softly before I grabbed a handful of shiriken (sp?) and walked to the nearest bulls eye. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Gaara-kun? I have to ask you something." Only the wind answered me. "Seriously! This whole 'let's ignore Sakura,' thing is really aggravating!" Leaves all around me rustled.

"Gaara-kun?" Nothing. I was starting to worry. _'Did he leave?'_

"Talking to your imaginary friend, Sakura?" I nearly jumped out of my skin at the break of silence. "What the fuck do you want, Sasuke?" A human-shaped shadow walked into the dimming light, with red glaring eyes. _'Sharingan.' _

"Such a foul mouth." The commas in his sharingan began to spin wildly. "I shall have to fix that." I closed my eyes and laughed to myself. "Do you think that I'm that weak?"

"I want to see how much you have improved in my absence."

The grass crunched a few feet in front of me, I gasped as a hand closed around my throat, not completely cutting off my supply of air, but enough to shock my into opening my eyes.

"Sakura, fight me." I was silent. _'How can I fight him? I'm stronger, but nearly enough to take him.' _

"Ah, my little cherry blossom. You _have_ changed." I shuddered as a cold finger traced a path across my cheek and over my lips. At one time I might have liked this, welcomed his touch. But now, it felt so _wrong._ I began to struggle. "Just, not in the way I expected." A smirk found it's way to Sasuke's lips. "You are even weaker than before."

_'Come on, MOVE!'_ I was now panicing. He wouldn't let go. "Release me." He chuckled, and I did the only thing I could do. I screamed. As soon as my voice was raised, black figure appeared behind Sasuke as sand rapped around him, pulling him away from me.

"Sasuke," The figure smirked. "I have always wanted to meet you."

_'Wait, I know that voice.' _ I took a long look at my savior. He was dressed in all black, a large gourd sat on his back, he had blood red hair and a kanja for 'love' was on his forehead above his left eye. His eyes were jade green and rimmed in black. _'Gaara?'_ Sasuke frowned and glared at the interruption. I turned my attention to Sasuke and stared long and hard. He had changed since he got back. He was more closed off than ever before, never speaking at all. This was the most he had said to anyone since the Hokage had restricted him to D-rank missions.

When I looked back at the stranger to ask him a few _tiny_ questions, only air was where he stood. When I turned glanced back to where Sasuke was, I was shocked once again. He was gone too! _'Did I imagine it all?' _I stood stock still. And then...

_Pain._

I yelped as a sharp pain shot through my neck and left shoulder. Luckily the pain shocked me out of my frozen stance. I attempted to turn my head only to whimper as I received another small wave of pain.

When I finally had full control of my thoughts, I molded chakra in my fist and spun around, firmly planting my hand into my attackers face, but all I hit was a wall of sand.

The redhead glared at me as the sand fell. He flipped his tongue out and licked drops of blood off his lips, giving me the opportunity to see small fangs which were still stained with blood. I touched my neck and felt two puncture holes along with a small amount of blood. _'He... bit me?'_

"What the hell!" I molded chakra into my right hand and tried to heal my wounds. Nothing. _'What the fuck!' _ I tried again. And again. Still, nothing happened. I glared at my rescuer-turned-attacker. "What the hell was that for?"

Narrowing his eyes at me. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

Who did this think he is? "Who are you anyway?" He just smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out by now." Giving me a mocking bow he said, "Sabaku no Gaara, at your service."

I was shocked. All this time, trying to figure out what Gaara might really look like. I had to admit, it was quite unexpected. But this was still Gaara, my lifelong friend. Surprising him, and myself, I quickly embraced him.

"Gaara! You're here!" After I released him, I poked him hard. "Ouch?" He looked at me questionably. I gave him a wide grin. "Just wanted to make sure you were really here, and not a figment of my imagination."

He still looked at me funny. "Hn."

"Okay, now tell me. Why did you bite me?" I said as I folded my arms across my chest. He just smirked. "That mark tells everyone that you belong to me." His smirk grew wider. "You are my mate."

My whole world shattered.

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**Author notes: Um... can we say plot twist? Damn you muses! Seriously, I had the whole chapter written out, but I didn't like it, so I rewrote it twice. But I think it's better. **

**If anyone is confused, just tell my what's bugging you and I'll try to sort it out.**

**My sister had her baby! It's a boy, born on April 28th, 3.9 pounds, 16 inches. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen! And he is breathing on his own which is very good. So, in light of this, I may not be able to update when the baby comes home, so I'll try to update as many times as I can until then. I'm sorry! I'll try!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**Blizzie-chan, **LostsoulofRegret**, EnV, **Gina01**, Hao'sAnjul, **Gin-inu**, SilverSimoneLady, **Megumi-Chan181**, windborne, **SweetAssassinSuper Lucky Tiki Charm**, Gaara's otome, **The warmth of the Afterglow**, Ali-Baba123,** sakurachn**, JUCHKO, **Magical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-Rubber-Duckies-Who-Lives-On-Durly-Lane-With-The-Muffin-Man-Duck-And-His-Muffin-Friends-Who-Rock-Solid-Rock **(I love your name! ), AnimeSenko, **Heartless Ghost**, BeastBoysBeauty, **Just me**, ShadowKitsune-Sama, **somepersonxP**, Dark Pyro Kiarra, Chobbix,** the sands in an hourglass**, Tomoyo, **Celestrial Wolf**, Scarlet Thunder19907, **Aslan'sWhiteWitch**, snow-leopard-demon24, **Kurenai Chinoumi**, Reiyuka Yumikoto, **.chie.x.sieka.**, Lunar Kestrel, **Gelayel**, and rachel** **(who got me off my lazy ass to finish this re rewrite)**

**Wow, I never thought so many people would like my sad excuse for a story! I'm so honored! Seriously, you guys rock, without your reviews I would have given up on the first chapter. **

**Please review! I don't care if you flame. Also, if you have ANY ideas that would be awesome! Thanks!**

**blackXheart**


	4. What's going on?

**Important: Gaara is not a vampire. All will be explained.**

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"I'm your what?" I stared incredulously at, who I thought, was my best friend. Surely this was some kind of sick joke! Maybe Naruto had found and paid someone to act like Gaara, considering I had never seen him, I would fall right into the trap. It was so simple! I started laughing.

"Hey! Naruto! You got me!" I wiped some tears from my eyes. "Gaara" just frowned. "What is so amusing?" I tried to regain some composure, but looking into his face just made me laugh harder. "It's funny!... gasp... you think... I would... your mate!" I couldn't take it. I dropped to ground and laughed until I had to stop at risk of hurting myself. So I just laid there and said, "Let's try this again, I'm your what?"

Gaara just raised an non-existing eyebrow and stated. "You. Are. My. Mate." He glared at my form. "Do I need to spell it out anymore?" Forcing myself not to start laughing again, I asked a new question.

"Mate? I don't get it." I sat up and tilted my head slightly. He just sighed and helped me to my feet. "Shakku took a liking to you." I squinted my eyes. "Shakku?"

He sighed once more. "Shakku is my demon." His hand reached up and began to play with a strand of my hair. _'Demon? What the hell?' _Searching my brain, the only information I could find on demons was...

**Demon: In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit, or daemon and djinn. (1) A demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled.**

This could not be good.

_'Plan... need a plan. Gotta think to have a plan. Gotta have a plan to get outta this. Gotta think.' _My mind was running in circles, still trying to process what was going on.

"So... " I said after awhile. "Who paid you?" He dropped his hand to his side. "Nani?" Bowing my head, I repeated myself. He growled softly. "No one paid me." I lifted my head, glaring defiantly.

"So you did this just for kicks?" I crossed my arms, and waited. "I do not need to explain myself."

My eyes widened. _'Did I just... see right through him?'_ Literally speaking. I rubbed my eyes. Gaara was becoming transparent. I backed away a few steps.

I blinked. He was gone. No footprints. No sand. No chakra trace. _Nothing. _

I slowly lifted my hand to my shoulder.

No blood. No teeth marks.

I pulled my hand back and stared at it like I had never seen it before. This was way to freaky. Molding chakra into my feet, I took to the trees and headed back in the direction I had come. Naruto would still be at Ichiraku's, so there was no need to track him down.

Could I tell Naruto about what happened? Well, he wasn't very trustworthy when it came to secrets. No, I wouldn't tell him. I just needed company. Maybe Kakashi-sensei would be there now as well.

The only sound I could hear was the rushing in my ears and the thump of my body weight in the trees. But it echoed. That wasn't right. The wind was stinging my eyes, branches seemed to reach out and grab at me, but I pressed on. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling I was being followed, and I could only think of one person who would be following me... well, it's better left unsaid.

Coming to the place of gathering, (2) I saw that my suspicions were correct, Naruto was still there, not eating any longer, and he was accompanied by my sensei and... Sasuke?

_'Wait, wasn't he just at the training ground?_ I frowned. What did Gaara do to him anyway? Shrugging it off, but remaining nervous, I jumped out of the last tree and quickly sat down next to Naruro. He was a bit shocked.

"Sakura-chyaaaan!" He said loudly, "I thought you left already?" Rubbing my damaged ear, I replied, "I did. I came back." To my relief, he didn't question me further.

I slumped in my chair, and tuned out everything. Not sleeping, heaven forbid if I ever became like Shikamaru. I snickered at my own joke, stupidly drawing attention to myself.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?" I opened an eye and gave him a look. Kakashi took this time to speak up. "He's right, you look pale." Naruto's eyes were filled with worry. I sighed. "I'm just tired from the run." Poor naïve little fool. I knew Kakashi figured I was lying, but he said nothing.

_'I should ask Sasuke about... no. I can't! I should, but Naruto is here. That would just force to explain and it would just be a big mess!' _Well, apparently my body and mind were separate today, for I found myself saying, "Sasuke?" He replied with a genius, "Hn."

"What happen to you at the training grounds?" He stared at me, no. Let me rephrase that. He _glared _at me. Not the normal, 'You're annoying,' kind of glare. This was a death glare.

"I never went to the training grounds." His onyx eyes narrowed at me. "I've been sitting here with the dope." I looked over to Naruto, he just bobbed his head. "He came right after you left, Saku-wait! Don't call me a dope, teme!" I was visibly shaken. I stood quickly, said good-bye, and rushed off without another word.

_'If he was there... then who was with me?' _I was stumped. I just walked, staring straight at the ground, knowing people would move to avoid running into me. I was now deep in thought. Maybe Sasuke sent a clone! Or, returning to my pervious theory, maybe it was all just a big joke, and everyone, including Naruto, was in on it! It was a conspiracy!

_'I'm not safe anywhere!'_ Jerking my head up, I narrowly avoided bumping right into Shikamaru, who wasn't paying attention to where he was going either. Rather, he had his hands behind his head and was staring up at the sky. "Bye Shikamaru!" He looked around, then just kept walking. I shook my head. He would never change. (3)

I now decided watch where I was going, so I admired the view to my apartment, which I hardly had time to look at. Today really was a beautiful day. There were a few clouds, but the sun was beginning to set. The air was clean and refreshing, and it seemed everyone was happy. Almost perfect. To be completely honest, it was slightly unnerving.

Getting that feeling that someone was stalking me again, I began to look over my shoulder quite often. _'Ah ha! There! That shadow behind me. It stopped when I stopped, but when I look back no one's there, and there is no way that someone could be following me that close.'_ I sighed. Paranoia was becoming a very close friend of mine. So I quickened my pace.

I turned down the street that lead to my apartment. I knew if I could just get home, I would be fine! Besides, my katana was at home, since I didn't need it unless I was on a mission.

By now I was running. _'Just a bit... more!'_ Racing up the steps to building, and jerked the door open and ran up two more flights of stairs. I got out my key and jammed the my door open. I rushed in, closed the door, locked all three bolts into place, and heaved a huge sigh. I had been sighing to much today.

Convinced I was safe here, I removed my sandals, and headed straight for the shower._ 'Relaxing, hot water. It's calling to me.' _I walked into the bathroom, and turned the water on to hot. Really hot. I striped myself and stepped into the burning water. I stood there for a long time. Just letting the water flow over me, soothing my muscles. It was nice.

Reluctantly, I turned off the water, toweled myself dry, and got into a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top. I let out yet another sigh as I fell on my bed. It was a long, eventful day. I was dog tired, and the sandman was defiantly hitting me over the head with a stick.

Without a second thought, I drifted off to sleep.

**---Dream---**

_It was bright, too bright. 'Am I staring right into the sun?' It hurts. I blinked. No, I was in a white room with florescent lights. As I closed my eyes, I heard people murmuring to my right. _

_I was laying down. It was soft. 'Where am I?' The murmuring grew louder. I heard the words terminal, and hopeless. Everything else was too soft to understand. I just listened for a word I could hear. I didn't wait long._

_My eyes popped open at the words... "Dead in three days." I looked at the people speaking. They were blurry, but getting clearer. _

_I tore my gaze away from the fuzzy blobs and glanced about the tiny room. 'A hospital room? Why am I... ' I was stopped from thinking any further when someone grabbed my arm. I looked over to the nurse, who was now much more visible. She gave me a pitying glance and stuck a needle in my arm._

_I tried to scream, but my throat was so dry, I couldn't make a sound. The door opened. A shadowed form. I felt instantly cold, and my eyes grew wide as I finally saw who it was. _

_"Gaara... "_

**---End Dream---**

I woke up drenched in sweat. The moonlight streamed through my window. I rolled over and tried to calm down, but my horror only grew as I looked next to me.

A small pile of sand...

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**(1) Daemon, also spelled dæmon, is a supernatural being between a mortal and god, comes from Greek mythology. A djinn is like a sprite, brownie, or even an imp.**

**(2) My own little joke about them always going there. **

**(3) I'm sorry! I know this makes NO sense, but I love Shikamaru! So I had to put him in there. **

**Authors Notes: Well, I had my first flame. And after not leaving my room for two days, I got over it. So thanks to Mistress DragonFlame, who made me have a relapse in my therapy! **

**Sorry for the short chapter. Somehow I deleted the real one, and this is a retype, but I really wanted it post something for you guys. I'm sorry. Just a warning. I have the plot figured out now, and, well. You're in for a rough ride. Grins evily**

**And also, for any of you who want to know, my nephew is coming home tomorrow! Which is good, considering he was a preemie.**

**Thanks to: AnimeSenko, **Gina01**, Magical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-Rubber-Duckies-Who-Lives-On-Durly-Lane-With-The-Muffin-Man-Duck-And-His-Muffin-Friends-Who-Rock-Solid-Rock-And-Hate-Michael Jackson(haha I love the add on to your name! Sorry to any Jackson fans.), **LostsoulofRegret**, Ali-Baba123, **serpentslayer**, gin-inu, **Hao'sAnjul**, forsaken13, **inuyashaHELP**, qtkag, **EnV**(me too), Haru, **Kesganda**, windborne, **Angels-Ramen**, chie, **SweetAssassin**, david, **sakurachn**(I really appreciate that. ), **JCK**, DrAgOnLuVeR88, **BWOLFY**, Sora Inu-chan, **Kurenai Chinoumi**, SabakuNoBrandye, **Heartless Ghost**(thanks again!), **StarlitBaby**, Dark Pyro Kiarra, **mentally unstable X3**, Chobbix, **Pink Haired Uchiha**, candle-rain-chan, **SilverSimoneLady**, Shadow, **darkchild**, DangerousandDemonicDevil, **Scarlet Thunder19907**(your review made me laugh. ), Super Lucky Tiki Charm(thanks for the tips!),** everything you imagine is real**, nutte, **Lady-Crymsyn**, Lady Jaja, and **Gaaraslady

**Gasps So many reviews! You guys have no idea how much it means to me! Seriously, I love you all! wipes away tear**

**blackXheart**


	5. I'm confused!

**If I owned Naruto, do you think I would be writing _Fan Fiction?_ **

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It had been a month since that incident with Gaara, if you can call it that. This morning I went to train with my team, just like any other day. Kakashi-sensei was late again, but that didn't bother me. I was siting under a tree near the bridge, meditating.

Naruto was sitting on the railing and Sasuke was leaning against it opposite that of Naruto. At the moment they were both in the middle of an important, intelligent, and fascinating conversation. It went along the lines of something like this...

"What did you call me, you bastard?"

"Are you deaf as well as dumb, dope?"

"Are you ugly as well as emotionless, you prick?"

"Well, at least I'm not blind."

"Why you sonofabit- "

Yeah, it pretty much went on like that until Kakashi-sensei poof-ed up, scaring Naruto so bad he actually flipped over the rail and face planted into the water. Kakashi just rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced in the water. "Sorry Naruto." I tried really hard not to laugh, but failed. I think Sasuke even smirked.

"Kakashi-senseiiiiiiii!" Naruto growled as he jumped back onto the bridge. Kakashi just chuckled shakily and cleared his throat. "For today, you guys will spare. Naruto with Sakura, and Sasuke with me."

It figures. Kakashi-sensei always liked Sasuke best out of all of us. Maybe is was because he had the Sharingon as well, or he just had more potential then Naruto and I. But whatever the case, we were always left behind.

After about thirty minutes of arguing with Kakashi, Naruto finally settled down and followed me to a training ground _FAR _from where our teacher was. No use having him ragging on us for no reason, right?

(Warning! Really sucky fight scene ahead!)

I got into a defensive stance as Naruto got down onto all fours and shook as much water off him as possible. Now, when fighting Naruto the only thing you have to remember is, never underestimate him. Most people would think, _"It's just Naruto! This will be easy!"_ Ha! They haven't seen him training recently. But I was excited. I hadn't fought him in a long time. This would be interesting.

"Are you ready, Sakura-chan?" He asked while giving me a huge smile. "_Oh, I'm so going to wipe that smile off his face!"_ Giving back a smile of my own, I replied.

"Ready when you are, Naruto-kun." His eyes widened at my use of that suffix. Moving quickly while he was still under shock, I pulled several kunai from my pouch at my thigh and threw them in his direction.

He snapped out of his little fantasy world that he had drawn himself into, just in time to pull his own kunai and deflect a few of mine. But not before he got a small cut on his shoulder. Hurtling his kunai into the ground, he quickly formed a few hand seals and called out, "Bunshin no Jutsu!"(1)

Seven 'poofs' later and I was surrounded by Narutos. Pushing chakra into my fist, I pummeled the ground. Dust, dirt and rocks where thrown into the air hitting everything around me. When everything settled, I was in the middle of a medium-sized crater. I smirked at my work. I didn't train with Tsunade for nothing.

Naruto and his clones had vanished. I figured that the raining debris would have taken care of the clones, so where did Naruto go?

I leapt into a nearby tree, leaving a clone behind me in the clearing. Naruto wouldn't take long before he got impatient, I just had to wait for him to jump out.

_'So predictable.'_ I smirked as four Narutos rushed toward me. One ducked low, kicked past my defenses hitting my square in the jaw, forcing me into the air. The other clones held me still as the real Naruto jumped and shouted, "Uzumaki Naruto Rendan!"(2) and delivered a nasty blow to my stomach.

But, by now I had poofed into a log, and Naruto was just standing there with question marks around his head. He was only acting confused. He knew all along that wasn't me, otherwise he wouldn't have kick the clone that hard.

Forming familiar hand seals, I muttered to myself, "Kokuangyo no Jutsu!"(3) Naruto immediately fell to his knees with his hands in front of him, searching out blindly.

"Sakura-chan!" He called panicked. "Sakura-chan! Please stop!" I jumped down into the clearing. Naruto basically in hysteria, eyes wide open and darting about frantically. I chuckled.

"Naruto, I'm stupid," I gave a victorious smirk. "Say you give up."

**_'Sakura... '_** A faint voice whispered my name. I darted my head about, but no one was there. _'Oh no! Not again!' _This couldn't be happening! I thought that I had stopped having these... daydream things. That's all they seemed like to me.

**_'Sakura...' _**It was louder this time... and... whimpering?

"SAKURA!" Opps.

"Sorry, Naruto. I thought I heard something." I said shakily while I canceled out the jutsu. _'I'm going insane._

"I'm the one who should be sorry." Naruto said as he flew up from the ground, giving a punch that threw me to the ground. "I never did say I gave up." He said proudly while I wiped away blood from my nose.

_'Cheeky bastard.' _I thought, but I gave him a smile. "Well, that was fun." I said.

"Wanna do it again?" Naruto said with a foxy grin.

"Do you even need to ask?"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_'Who ever thinks that taking time to relax is a stupid idea, is seriously mental.' _After short, but intense, training with Naruto, going on a mission with Naruto, and eating with Naruto, a hot shower and a hot cup of tea was sounded like the best thing in the world.

For the moment, I was picturing myself curled up with a warm blanket in my favorite chair, reading a book Kakashi-sensei had recommended to me. It _wasn't_ Icha Icha Paradise! It was a miracle. Although, it had been hard to get out of him...

**---Flashback... boring I know---**

_"Hey, Kakashi-sensei? What do you know about hallucinations?"_

_"Why do you need to know?"_

_"Well, I seem to be suffering from somethi-"_

_"What's your temperature?"_

_"98.6, but what-" _

_"Have you been sleeping lately?"_

_"Well, I've been sleeping as well as can be-"_

_"Have you had any stressful situations recently?"_

_"I think I'm having one right-"_

_"Do you think black is an actually color, or just a mixture of all the others?"_

_"Um-"_

_"How many fingers am I holding up?"_

_"Four, but how is this-"_

_"Why do you think that Lee takes after Gai-sensei?"_

_"Now wait a second-"_

_"What is the most hours that you would recommend a kid playing X-box a day!"_

_"What's an X-box-?"_

_"Have you now, or ever been, a bird!"_

_"Kakashi-sensei-"_

_"WHAT'S 12X12!"_

_"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"_

_"Shit! We have to take you to the hospital now!"_

_"Sigh."_

**---end flash back... boring sigh---**

Poor Kakashi-sensei. When he got me to the hospital, it took the nurses two hours to convince him nothing was wrong with me. After he had taken me home, he told me about this book... and thus, here I am! Ready for a stress-free night of relaxing!

But of course, when you try to relax, something always happens to mess it up right? Yup.

So I just returned from the library and was ready to try to find out why my life was so... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh right, psychotic.

After about thirty minutes of skimming through pages and finding barely anything that could help, I decided that a small snack was in order! After all, it had been a few hours since I had eaten.

"Let's see, milk, lettuces tomatoes, cheese, bread... in the fridge? Okay... um, yogurt! That's good!" Smiling to myself, I pulled some cheery yogurt from the shelf and closed the door. Turning to my left, I pulled open a nearby drawer and grabbed a spoon.

Turning back toward the door heading toward the living while digging into my treat, I ran into something hard, yet soft. Stepping back, and looking up, I gasped and fell back on my butt.

"Gaara?" Ah yes, the red-haired 'illusion' smirked at me down on the floor. Of course he would think falling would be funny. Ass.

_'Get a hold of yourself, Sakura! He isn't real!' _

Gaara offered me a hand, which I took, and pulled off the floor. Gathering my thoughts, and remember something I had just read, I grabbed a pen off the counter, as well as posits, and wrote this.

"All non-trivial zeros of the zeta function have real part one-half." (4)

I closed my eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Peaking one eye open, I found that Gaara was still there.

I must have said every curse word known to humanity while I banged my fist into the counter.

"Why did you let him hit you?"

I turn a heavy glare to Gaara, who was not fazed by it, and so intelligently replied, "Huh?"

"I don't like to repeat myself."

I rolled my eyes. _'Why is it that all hot guys are such complete bastards?' _I held back a smirk.

"I seriously don't know what you are talking about."

Gaara just stared at me with slightly angry jade orbs.

I sighed. "It was just training, I didn't want to hurt him."

"No one hits you." Gaara grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him.

_'What the hell is he doing!'_

With his other hand he lightly touched my cheek, then trail down to my neck, then over to my shoulder, all the while staring intently into my eyes.

"You're mine." He crashed his lips against mine. I struggled briefly before relaxing slightly.

After a moment, Gaara let go of me and stepped back, leaving me a bit breathless.

"Gaara?" I was so confused!

He just pointed to the junction where my neck met my shoulder. _'No fucking way.' _I lifted my hand and felt two small scars.

"How did you hide that?" I asked, wide-eyed.

"A fairly simple jutsu." He explained while giving me a smile. " I shall see you tomorrow, Sakura." With that, he disappeared in a whirl of sand.

I sank to the floor and leaned against the cabinets. "Why me?"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**(1) Body Clone Skill: Shadow clones are images of the creator.**

**(2) Uzumaki Naruto Combo: Self explainitory.**

**(3) Bringer of Darkness: The user uses chakra to create a complete pitch black area to disorient the battlefield.**

**(4) I borrowed this from Jimmy Neutron. Which I do not own. Come on! You know it's funny!**

**Thanks to Reviewers:**

**windborne, **Hao'sAnjul**, Gaaraslady, **Angels-Ramen**, StarlitBaby, **gin-inu**, .chie.x.sieka., **jahannah12**, DangerousAndDemonicDevil, **Pink Haired Uchiha**, Ali-Baba123, **SweetAssassin**, sakurachn, **Dark Pyro Kiarra**, SabakuNoBrandye, **LostsoulofRegret**, Magical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-Rubber-Duckies-Who-Lives-On-Durly-Lane-With-The-Muffin-Man-Duck-And-His-Muffin-Friends-Who-Rock-Solid-Rock-And-Hate-Michael Jackson, **EnV**, Gina01, **Lady Jaia**, Heartless Ghost, **HarvestMoonRacoon**, Kurenai Chinoumi, **Sheildmaidenof Edoras373**, Scarlet Thunder19907(you rock!), **darkchild**, gtkag, **AnimeSenko**, inuyashaHELP, **Loveless Insomniac**, Gaaraslady, **panda xXx chan**, ummmmm .. i dunno (You are awesome! Thank you!), and **fallen.lunar.

**Author Notes: Sorry for the long wait. I was grounded, I'm really sick, I really suck at battle scenes and it took me forever just to write it so I wouldn't hurl when I read it it's still pretty bad, AND I couldn't upload anything! Was it just me? This chapter didn't turn out like I wanted. Damn.**

**Now, I know what you're thinking. "It's summer! Yay! No school! Now she'll update more!" Wrongo. For a home schooled kid who is going to college this semester, free time is a joke. If you want to blame someone, blame my grandma. Seriously. And, yes I know I misspelled Gaara's demon in the last chapter. I'm sorry. **

**And now, since I haven't slept in two days, (maybe that's why the chapter sucked?) and I'm as sick as no tomorrow, I'm going to bed. Lots of love to you all!**

**blackXheart**


	6. Stress, and a look at Sasuke!

**Disclaimer- Yes! I admit it! I own Naruto! Let the law suites begin! -lawyers poke author with a long stick- Fine! I own nothing. Except my ipod, which I will fight with my life for. **

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

I did see Gaara the next day. And the next, and the next, and then next.

For two weeks he followed me during the day, then showed up at my apartment at night. Never speaking. He just sat in one spot while I did my daily rituals. It was quite unnerving.

At least before I actually saw him, he would talk to me. We shared every thought, hope, and dream. What changed? I don't think I'll ever understand.

I think stress is starting to get to me. After two weeks of not talking to your best friend can do that. No one to dump all your emotional garbage on. Having everything bottled up inside. It starts to show in ways you don't want it too.

But what is stress anyway?

_The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us. To maintain stability or _homeostasis, _the body is constantly adjusting to its surroundings. When a physical or mental event threatens this equilibrium, we react to it. This process is often referred to as the "fight or flight response." We prepare for physical action in order to confront or flee a threat. _

I want to thank Kakashi for making me read all the books he could find on Physiology.

Physical action? Well, maybe just a little bit. I don't think the root that tripped me the other day will never be the same again after my yelling lecture. I mean, come on. I yelled at a root!

Yes, it was time to take a closer look into the symptoms of stress.

Physical symptoms of being under stress.

sleep disturbances

back, shoulder or neck pain

tension or migraine headaches

upset or acid stomach, cramps, heartburn, gas, irritable bowel syndrome

constipation, diarrhea

weight gain or loss, eating disorders

hair loss

muscle tension

fatigue

high blood pressure

irregular heartbeat, palpitations

asthma or shortness of breath

chest pain

sweaty palms or hands

cold hands or feet

skin problems (hives, eczema, psoriasis, tics, itching)

periodontal disease, jaw pain

reproductive problems

immune system suppression: more colds, flu, infections

growth inhibition

Emotional symptoms of being under stress.

nervousness, anxiety

depression, moodiness

"butterflies"

irritability, frustration

memory problems

lack of concentration

trouble thinking clearly

feeling out of control

substance abuse

phobias

overreactions

Okay, so maybe I was suffering from irritability, lack of concentration, weight loss, and depression. So what? It's not like it was affecting anyone but me, right?

Wrong.

I think it was the depression that caught the attention of my teammates. Naruto began to try to tell me jokes all the time. I'll never think of blondes the same way again. Kakashi-sensei forced me to be around Lee for an entire day, so I could "brighten my outlook on life." I think I'm still twitching.

And Sasuke... well he hasn't tried to help. Thank goodness. I really don't like him. He's just so full of himself and withdrawn. How can anyone live like that most of their life and not be insane? It's beyond me.

Well, I can only thank the stars for small favors... right?

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Here we'll look in on Sasuke. Evil bastard.)**

Sasuke sat brooding in his darkened bedroom. The black curtains brought almost complete darkness during the day, something he enjoyed very much. The ceiling fan whirled in a rhythm that was almost annoying to most, but strangely, it was comforting to the last Uchiha at the moment.

You see, at the this period in time, he was thinking of a certain teammate. No, not Naruto, he didn't swing that way. (NO OFFENSE!) No, he was thinking of a pink-haired, medic-nin, wicked strong teammate. Anyone want to take a guess of who it is?

Yup, that's right. Haruno Sakura.

You see, (in this story) Sakura was one of only girls who had ever resisted him and his girly ways...

A/N: Oh, damn it. Typo. Sorry, what I meant to say was...

...his dark, unresistible Uchiha charm.

Yes, somehow during the few years when they were younger and the resent months after his return from a certain snake-bastard, who's name will not be mentioned in this fic because of all his evilness, he has seen what a good candidate she would be for his baby making scheme, then the entire world would be ruled by the Uchiha family! Tremble in horror!

A/N: Hehe, damn, another typo. Let's try that again...

...He has seen what a good candidate she would be to revive his clan so they would be good citizens.

You see, Sasuke had noticed the strange behavior patterns of Sakura lately, he just really didn't give a shit.

A/N: Darn these stupid typos! Don't worry, that was the last one.

...he just hadn't show his concern.

Sasuke had realized had to make his move soon. He thought that maybe hypnotizing Sakura with the Sharingon that he might make the whole transition thing a lot easier on his part, but nooooo. After the "incident" at the training grounds, he hadn't even been near her!

_'Damn Kakashi-sensei and his need to lift me above the others!'_

Why couldn't he get paired up with Sakura? He might have even gotten a challenge out of her.

What would he do now? He couldn't try the Sharingon again.

Sasuke slammed his fists onto the wooded desk.

_'Damn that redheaded bastard! Who does he think he is? Ruining my only chance at the easy way!' _

What could the emo... I mean... misunderstood Sasuke do?

The only thing he could do...

Stalk Sakura...

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**Author's notes: I'm sick like no fricken tomorrow, I'm sleep deprived, I have a headache that sounds like techno music in my head, and I don't like this chapter at all. It's too short. Oh well. I feel really bad about not updating, just a lot of stuff has been going on, but you don't want to listen to my excuses, right? Yup, that's what I thought. **

**Thanks to my awesome reviewers:**

**Angels-Ramen, **Gin-inu**, If-This-Disturbes-You-Then-Walk-Away, **-Ino-Yamanka-09**, LostsoulofRegret, **Gina01**, Scarlet Thunder19907(I love you!), **SilverSimoneLady**, StarlitBaby, **EKI-ember**, Kurenai Chinoumi, **.chie.x.sieka.**, sakurachn, **Heartless Ghost(Woot! I kick ass! ), **Gaara is mine, **Shadow-Ninja-Fay**, Alex, **Naraku's Phoenix**, HarvestMoonRacoon, **Kyo-my-Love**, inuyashaHELP, **RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake**, slaymyheart, **Hao'sAnjul**, Haru, **Sister-of-the-Light**, gtkag, **liandrin**, AsianOne, **mylastbreath92**, blackharu911, **loves-winged-dark-angel**, Gaarasgurl98,** Puppyeye1**, JovianShe-Wolf, **SasukesoOoFlower**, Gaara's1and0nly.**

**And before I get my ass flamed for bashing Sasuke, I just want to say, that he's a no good, lying, selfish, chakra wasting, piece of SHIT! (Can you tell I hate Sasuke?)**

**There, now you can flame me. **

**Until next time!**

**blackxheart**


	7. It's about time!

**Disclaimer: I only own Naruto in my dreams. -sighs- And even they come with a price. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Gin-inu, who works really hard on her stories. **

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

I was on my bathroom counter, next to the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

I was past the point of being pale, and beyond pasty. I was white. Dark circles rimmed my eyes to the point of them almost looking like Gaara's. I had lost enough weight now that my clothes hung limply from my body.

This really had to end.

Sighing to myself, I walked out of the tiny room and prepared for conflict.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**(Gaara!)**

Gaara was currently waiting in his usual spot, sitting in the hardly comfortable wicker chair in the plainly decorated living room of Sakura's apartment. At this moment in time he is chanting a mantra in his head. Shall we have a peak?

_'I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack... '_

You see, dear reader, Gaara's current, not to mention only, love interest was taking a shower. (He thinks) And not just any shower. A shower in the next room. So, Gaara is concentrating on not leaving his spot and going to said next room and doing things I cannot mention in this fic for then the rating would go up.

And this is very hard on our poor... um... Gaara's instincts. Ever since he was abandoned at the age of four near Konoha's outer forests, he had always had to claim what was his, or fight long and hard.

But Gaara couldn't have survived at that tender age by himself. Oh no. He had to thank Shukaku and his ability to control sand, for helping him find food, shelter, and water. And protecting him from anything harmful.

But, Gaara could even remember being taken over by Shukaku while he was young, but he didn't remember what happened during that time. For two years he lived outside the village, until the day he went in and stumbled upon a contact. Or in Shukaku's eyes, a whole lot more.

It had been a pure accident coming upon Sakura that day. Shukaku had suggested they go see the village. So, Gaara trusting his "inner voice" did what he was told. But he never planned on what came of it.

**---Flashback... thing---**

_Gaara leapt from tree to tree. Having completed many chakra techniques at a very young age, he was already quite powerful. Thanks to the demon inside of him._

_Speaking of the demon, Shukaku had wanted to visit the village they had always lived near today. Used to obeying his orders, Gaara went along quietly._

_After a while of jumping, Gaara finally got bored. "Skukaku?"_

_**"Yes?" **_

_"Why are we just now going into the village? You always said it was dangerous."_

_**"Because... someone special is in that village."**_

_"Really? Who?"_

_Shukaku chuckled. **"You will find out."**_

_Gaara just shrugged and continued heading toward his destination _

_When he could see the gates, Shukaku spoke again. _

_**"Follow the wall, and jump over where the wall meets the mountain. It should be about half-mile from here."**_

_Gaara complied without question._

_"Okay, now what?"_

_But Shukaku was silent._

_'Okay, I guess I'm on my own.' So Gaara began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, hiding his chakra like he had been taught. _

_Once in a while he would stop and observe the people milling around below. Living their daily lives, no thought as to what could be just above their heads. _

_After about an hour of jumping around as he pleased, he came to rest in a tall branch in an of tree under what was known as The Great Stone Faces. Not that Gaara knew that._

_He was comfortable just sitting in the trees and listening to the wind. But after a few minutes, he heard more then just the wind. _

_Jumping down a few branches, he saw a young girl about his age. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her head of pink hair lay on her arms. She was crying. _

_Gaara tilted his head. 'She doesn't look injured. What's her problem?'_

_Just as Gaara was about to jump away, Shukaku snapped at him. _

_**"Boy! Talk to her!"**_

_Gaara was confused. "Why?"_

_**"Because... she is the one we're looking for!"**_

_"Why are we looking for her?"_

_**"If we train her, one day she'll make the perfect mate for us!"**_

_"Mate? I don't understand... "_

_**"You don't have too, just relax... "**_

_Gaara trusted Shukaku, and felt the familiar feeling of unconsciousness reaching out to him. His didn't resist. Closing his eyes, he sunk into darkness. _

_Gaara gave a smirk as his eyes opened, pupils having shrunk to an unnatural size. Clearing his throat, he spoke. _

_**"Girl, why do you cry?" **_

_She raised her head, sniffed, and looked around, but Shukaku made sure Gaara's body was well hidden. _

_After a moment of the girl just gaping around, Shukaku got snappy._

_**"Girl, I do not repeat myself."** She jumped at the irritated sound in his voice, but answered. _

_"I'm crying cause all the other kids were laughing at me." Another tear rolled down her cheek. _

_Shukaku rolled his eyes, **'This is going to be more annoying then I thought. I might as well get this over with.'**_

_**"That's a stupid reason to cry. Lots of people will laugh at you over your life time. Get use to it now, instead of later. That only makes it harder."**_

_She sniffled again, her eyes still trying to locate his location in the trees around them._

_"Who are you?" She asked as she stood up and walked toward a bush that just happened to be shaking. _

_**'Talk about good timing.' **Shukaku sweat dropped before grinning evilly._

_**"I am a friend." **A gust of wind shook the tall trees around them, and blew the bush, that the girl seemed to fascinated with, away, _

_"Will you come talk to me again tomorrow?" She asked shyly. Shukaku chuckled and smiled to himself._

_**"Of course. What kind of friend would I be otherwise?" **The girl smiled brightly._

_**'Her hair... it looks like sakura blossoms. I think I'll call her... Sakura.'** Not knowing that was really her name._

_"Children! Come inside now!" A voice called out from beyond their sight, and Sakura seemed irritated._

_**"You have to go." **Shukaku said sadly, although he was furious inside._

_"Don't you go to the school?" Sakura was confused. _

_**"No, I don't." **_

_Shukaku smirked happily. **'After living as long as I have, you don't need to go to school.' ** _

_**"Sakura, you need to go now, before you're late." **_

_"Hai." She started to walk away, but turned around and asked, "Before I go, what's your name?" _

_Shukaku chuckled. _

_**"My name is Gaara." **_

**---End Flashback... thing---**

The bathroom door creaked open, shaking Gaara, or should I say Shukaku, out of his thoughts.

Sakura sat down on the small sofa and drew her knees to her chest.

"Gaara, we need to talk."

Shukaku sighed inwardly. **'The most horrible sentence known to earth.'**

"Very well."

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

I sat quietly, trying to collect my thoughts. But Gaara seemed to beat me to it.

"I'm sorry." He said, surprisingly soft.

I blinked. And blinked again.

"Well... um... I forgive you... but-"

"I mean, I'm suppose to be your friend, and I drop a bomb on your life and our friendship." Gaara stood up and started pacing. (OOC! Damn.)

"Yeah... but it's not that bad-"

"What was I thinking! We're only like, what? Fifteen?"

"True, but if you'll only let me-"

"Well, I shall build a new bridge in our friendship!"

"That's great, but-"

"And we will go on like nothing had happened!"

"Wait a second-"

"And when we are older, you shall be my mate! Or wife... whatever you want to call it." (Gaara... OOC... much? Yes, I'm sorry. But remember, it's not really Gaara!)

"STOP!" I stood, fists clenched at my side. Anger written purely across my face.

"Mate? Gaara, seriously!" I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "I know you have known me for like ever, but that doesn't mean we're going to end up together!"

Gaara slumped his shoulders. "I guess you're right."But inside, Shukaku was busy plotting. **'I bet she doesn't realize that bite mark won't go away.'** He grinned and chuckled evilly to himself.

I walked over to Gaara and gave him a hug, which shocked him a bit, but her returned it hesitantly.

During this time, I wasn't aware of red eyes staring angrily at us.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**(Sasuke again.)**

After training, Sasuke followed Sakura home, being very careful to stay in the trees out of sight, and hiding his chakra. Although it wasn't hard to follow her without being noticed. She was in such deep thought it didn't matter. But it made it all the easier for Sasuke. (Slacker.)

Stalking was actually a really boring process. The person walks, you follow, the person walks some more, you follow some more. Etc. Etc.

And after a while, you start to sweat from nervousness. Your stomach is churning excitement and anxiety And you start to make mistakes, like tripping and falling in a huge pit of mud. Or jumping through a freakishly big spider web.

So right about now, Sasuke was one nasty piece of ninja. (xD)

By the time Sakura finally reached her house, it was very surprising that the Uchiha was not spouting out curses right and left. Of course that would blow his cover, and thus waste all efforts in what he just accomplished.

So, here he was. Sitting on a conveniently placed branch outside of Sakura's living room window. After she had been in there a while, he peered into the apartment. Sasuke could just make out a form sitting in a chair. But it wasn't Sakura! This made him furious. Of course he never stopped to think it might be Naruto, or maybe even Ino. Although Sakura didn't hang out with her that much.

But, if he had stopped to think about this, it wouldn't have matter because we all know who it is! Poor Sasuke. So clue less

Any ways, while he was busy ranting off mindless things in his head, he didn't notice when Sakura came out and sat down. But he did notice when the other figure inside stood up and began pace. The voices inside rose louder, though not enough so Sasuke could hear them.

Then, Sakura stood up and... what's this? Hugging? Sasuke's Sharingon activated solely by his anger. Not because Sakura was hugging someone, no. But because she was hugging the guy from the training grounds. The red-haired freak!

Through his anger, Sasuke thought of a plan. He crackled evilly and rubbed his hands together. _'This is gonna be good.'_

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**Authors notes: Wow, ya'll seemed to like the typos in the last chapter. I'm glad. I was very surprised to find so many Sasuke haters, but then again, if you liked Sasuke I doubt you would read a GaaraXSakura story. Hehe. **

**I bet you weren't expecting this twist, huh? Gaara being taken over by the Shukaku since the beginning! Muhahaha!**

**And enjoy me being sick! I'm writing like crazy! **

**Thanks to all my reviewers:**

**LostsoulofRegret(Us emo girls gotta stick together!), **chie**, If-This-Disturbes-You-Then-Walk-Away, **Gina01**, kai'sgirl510, **tweetybaby2**, angelfox13, **JovianShe-Wolf**, itsjustcherry, **Sister-of-the-Light**, Puppyeye1, **Kyo-my-Love**, Heartless Ghost, **loves-winged-dark-angel**, slaymyheart, **kiiuSakura The Unloved**, Gaara's desert blossom, **the answer is 42**, DeadlyDemon17, **Gaaraslady**, silveraqueen, **Scarlet-chan(You rock!)**, SasukesoOoFlower, **Wolfdoodler**, Hao'sAnjul, **Jenjei Cat**, Gelayel, **RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake**, twistedchild, **and Silent Uke Fuu.

**You guys continue to surprise me! I love you guys so much! Without you I would have stopped this story at the first chapter.**

**I think I'm going to kill something! My sister is playing the slow version of "Everytime we Touch" by Cascada, over and over. I think I'm going insane. Wait, too late! Hehe!**

**Until next time!**

**blackXheart**


	8. Sasuke you Bastard

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would die, Itachi would rule the world, Sakura would marry Shikamaru, and I would make myself a boring background character. I also do not own any Disney references. Muhahaha!**

**WARNING! Major OOCness for the rest of the story. Don't like it, then go away.**

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Yes! I was so happy! I wanted to jump up and down from relief and joy. I had finally forced myself to talk to Gaara. It all worked out! Of course there is still the problem of him thinking we're "mates" and whatnot. But that can be easily remedied!

Presently, I was skipping down to the bridge to join Naruto and Sasuke in waiting for Kakashi-sensei. Only this time, I would be laughing, telling lame jokes, and, my favorite pass time, beating Naruto over the head.

Ah, it's good to be back.

Only, when I reached the bridge, everything was just as it should be. Sasuke was brooding and Naruto was missing...

Wait... what?

I did a double take.

_'Dear God! It's the end of the world!'_ What should I do? Crawl into a hole and wait for death? No, to simple. Should I scream and run around in circles? No, to enthusiastic. Should I curl up into a fetal position and suck my thumb? NO! To babyish. Wait! I should...

"Sakura!"

"What?" I stumbled back in surprise, jumping into a defensive stance.

"Hn, I've called your name three times." Ah, it was Sasuke. The stick up his ass, human popsicle.

Dropping my guard, I sighed. "Sorry. Where's Naruto?"

Sasuke smirked.

**---Sasuke flashback---**

_The sounds of "Hi ho, Hi ho, its off to work we go," were only interrupted by Sasuke's maniacal laughter as he finished tying Naruto's feet together. Glancing his rivals face, he couldn't help but laugh harder at the completely pissed off look he was receiving._

_Dragging Naruto through the kitchen, Sasuke opened the narrow door that lead to the basement. Picking his orange obsessed teammate up, he quickly threw him down the stairs, which caused the singing to stop completely. The seven dwarves quickly stepped into the light, holding their hands in front of their eyes. _

_"The light!" the named Grumpy whispered, his eyes going wide with joy. "It's so beautiful!"_

_"I thought I told you to stop singing!" Sasuke shouted down angrily, slamming the door shut. _

**_---_End Flashback---**

"Oh, Naruto will be out of town for a while." Sasuke said impassively.

I shrugged. "Okay."

Leaning with my back against the bridge, I propped my elbows against the railing. I tilted my head back and stared at the clouds above me, thinking peaceful, happy, wonderful thoughts...

"I know about him."

...and then they all came crashing down. I lifted my head up. "Pardon?"

"The guy in your apartment last night." Sasuke smirked that annoying smirk.

I pretended not to know what he was talking about. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The guy with red hair."

_'Shit! He means Gaara!'_

Hoping to pull off the innocent ploy, I remained indifferent. "What guy?"

Sasuke now frowned. I hope I didn't upset him too much. "You do realize that it's illegal to host an unregistered citizen or ninja."

I winced. _'Damn it! Why is he telling me this?'_

"So, I've decided not to rat you out."

That damn smirk again! "So, you're blackmailing me?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Blackmailing is such a hard term." Sasuke looked thoughtful, then smirked evilly at me. "I prefer extortion."

_'If he smirked one more fucking time... no! This isn't the time to think of such things.' _

Might as well get this over with. With a roll of my eyes, I prepared for the worst. "So, what do you want?"

"What I want." Sasuke moved into a thinking pose. "It's not really what I want. But what you want." Ah, he's trying to confuse me. Great.

"What, I want?" This is seriously not normal. _'Since when does Sasuke think of other people?'_

He nodded. "Yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "And, what do I want?"

Sasuke smiled smugly. "You want me."

I laughed. Longer and harder then first time Gaara told me I was his mate. Tears ran freely down my face. "God! It's... just... too... FUNNY!"

Finally, at risk of seriously injuring myself, I slowly stopped laughing after I saw the look on Sasuke's face.

Two words.

Pissed.

Off.

_'Damn.'_

"You weren't joking?" I asked as I wiped tears from my eyes.

"No." He face looked like it was set in stone. He was **mad.**

I couldn't believe it! "Wait a second." I crossed the bridge and, for lack of a better term, got in his face. "You want me, to act like your girlfriend? For if I don't, you'll tell the Hokage about Gaara?"

A light of recognition shone in Sasuke's eyes. _'Gaara... Gaara... ah yes. Sakura's "friend" from when we were young. I guess she wasn't lying.' _

"No." He replied sharply.

I sighed in relief and stepped back in "my side" of the bridge. "I want you to **be **my girlfriend."

I froze. This was, without a doubt, the worst thing that had ever happened to me. A hundred times worse then what Gaara did. _'Damn it all to fucking hell! Why me? If I say no, Gaara has to leave. If I say yes, I'm stuck with ice for brains.'_

But, it was for Gaara. He was my best friend. I'd do almost anything for him.

I huffed in anger and crossed my arms defiantly. "Fine."

Sasuke's eyes glinted with satisfaction. "Good."

Silence ruled between us until the trademark "poof" announce that Kakashi had arrived.

"Yo." He said while he crossed his arms over his head and braced himself.

Nothing.

_'What! No yelling?'_ Kakashi was almost in shock, but I'm sure that seeing me simmering in anger and Sasuke in smugness helped him figure that something was wrong. But he didn't ask.

"Hey," He looked all around himself for all the prank stuff he expected to be happening soon, since Naruto was out of sight. "Where's Naruto?"

I looked confused. "He didn't tell you? He went on vacation."

"He didn't tell me. Oh well." He shrugged. "Our mission today is to hunt for seven dwarves that went missing about two weeks ago."

Sasuke looked around nervously. "Um... dwarves? Haven't seen any. Nope. Not me. Nothing at all." He clasp his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. (OOC)

_'What's with him? Oh well. Who cares?' _I just rolled my eyes and listened as Kakashi briefed us.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**(Shukaku, or Gaara.)**

He had seen it. He had heard it, and he hated it.

His own. _His own! _Being "extorted," as Sasuke-teme had put it.

It made Shukaku furious. Gaara's body was trembling in anger.

Oh Sasuke would pay dearly for messing with what was his.

Oh so slowly, Gaara's eyes began to turn red...

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_It was this dream again. The white hospital room. The same sickening feeling in my stomach. The same constant pounding in my head. _

_I tried to call out, but my voice cracked from lack of use and dehydration So, instead, I fumbled for the nurse call button on a remote that was attached to my bed. The nurse came in record time. She was pretty. Blonde hair, green eyes, and a body most kunoichi dreamed of. But, personality is everything. _

_"What is it, honey?" She asked in a false sweet tone. _

_"W-wat-water... " I managed to rasp out. _

_"You're thirsty?" I nodded slowly and closed my eyes as the woman went about her job. _

_"Here you go." I was handed a cup filled with ice and a spoon. I wasn't even sure if I could hold the cup, much less lift the spoon. But I managed. No thanks to the nurse, who was busying herself with checking my chart. _

_After a few minutes of eating ice, I got her attention. "Excuse me, what is this?"_

_She looked at me disbelieving. "It's ice." _

_**'God, can she get anymore blonde?' **I thought to myself, trying not to snicker. _

_"No, what is this?" I gestured to the room around us. _

_Still, she looked baffled as to what I was talking about. "It's a hospital."_

_**'No duh!'**_

_"Well I shouldn't be here!" I jerkily pulled the IV from my arm and tried to sit up. "This is just a dream!"_

_"You can't get up yet!" The nurse was frantic. She pushed me back into the fluffy pillows and tried to stick the IV back into my bloodstream. _

_"You aren't well! You'll be fine if you don't undo damage!"_

_"What's wrong with me?" I wanted to cry, but I felt so tired. I stopped resisting and watched as she stuck me, then put something into the drip that made me very sleepy. _

_"I just want to know what's going on... " and I fell asleep. _

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**Authors notes: I'm starting to put up OOC warnings, cause some people were complaining about it, and saying I was "slacking off." But whatever. I'm trying people! I'm a very sarcastic person, so it's hard to write about silent or happy people. And as another person pointed out, this isn't really a romance, so I'm changing it.**

**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers:**

**Suko-chan, **silveraqueen**, greenhyuga, **gin-inu**, Gaara's desert blossom, **Call Me Amaya**, Gaaraslady, **Puppyeye1**, If-This-Disturbes-You-Then-Walk-Away, **SasukesoOoFlower**, Kunai-to-the-Heart, **Gelayel**, Scarlet-Chan(You're the best reviewer ever!),** Sora, **The angel of the sky**, Akahiko, **AnimeSenko**, 3lagueFyre, **Kyo-my-Love**, gaaralova, **sweet-but-evil**, Heartless Ghost, **Cat**, serpentslayer, **loves-winged-dark-angel**, the answer is 42, **Hao'sAnjul**, Ria Uchiha, **Sister-of-the-Light(Loved your review!)**, Temari-Of-The-Sand(Thanks for reading!), **Gina01**, JovianShe-Wolf**, mooneasterbunny, **CelestialElegy**, and shloop.**

**Important! I just want you to know that I have nothing against emo people, in fact, I am emo, which is why I can make comments. So, anyone who was offended by chapter 7, get over it. **

**Again, you guys are the best!**

**I'll try to pick up the "slack."**

**Until next time!**

**blackXheart**


	9. The Plot Thickens

**Disclaimer- I'm too tired to think of something funny. I don't own Naruto.**

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It seem that every force in the universe was out to get me. What did I do to anger these unknown forces, I do not know. But I do know that I must change it. I wouldn't be able to take this abuse any longer.

It's been a few days since Sasuke dropped a bomb on my life. Lucky for me, he got called away for a two week mission in the Hidden Star village the day after.

But, when I think about it. There really isn't anything I can do. I can't tell Gaara, he would probably try to kill Sasuke, but I'd never let that happen. Even if I do dislike Sasuke, and he is blackmailing me, that's no reason to have him killed. I can't tell Naruto, he's still out of town, and besides, he'd run right to Tsunade and that would ruin everything. I could just come clean with Tsunade and maybe she'd consider letting Gaara join the shinobi ranks?

Nah, why take the chance?

It seemed like no matter what I came up with, all things led to someone running to Tsunade. No one would understand. I would just have to grin and bear it until I came up with the perfect plan.

Meanwhile, during the past few days, Gaara has been very bold. A few stolen kisses here and there, innocent they seem, I know it means something a whole lot deeper then what he is letting on.

But why drag up the whole "mate" incident when things are just getting back to normal? But what was normal anyway? Did normal kunoichi have amazingly strong imaginary friends that turn out to be real?

Great. I've never even had a normal life then!

What could I do? Not only do I have these waking problems, but my dreams were getting stranger and stranger. Every one of them about me in a hospital room. It was weird beyond the fact that I was studying to become a medic nin, and my training might have some affect to my subconscious But every single night?

I was going to mention my dreams to Kakashi since I trust him the most out of anyone I know. But after the last time, I didn't want to risk being taken to the hospital, -the very place I've been trying to avoid- again.

While I look back over the past few weeks, I just know that a huge choice is looming in my future.

But will I make the right choice?

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Shukaku made his plans perfect. He rewrote a mission form, assigning Sasuke to go on a mission that Genin could do with ease. It would humiliate him to no end! It was too perfect!

While Sasuke was gone, he would take Sakura out with him in the forest as an official apology for his behavior. But, he had some nice surprise's instead of what she thought.

Shukaku smirked. _'All in due time, my flower. All in due time.'_

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Thud.**

Naruto was sent flying back down the set of stairs. The wind knocked out of him.

Laying on the floor, he gasped for air in Sasuke's dusty basement. His throat was dry, his lips were chapped, and he was hungry beyond human standards.

Why? Do you ask?

Reason being he was trying to break down the door to get out. The short people -as Naruto called them- had been huddled in a corner the whole time he had been down there. Not daring to lift a finger to help.

Naruto stood up clumsily from the floor, heaved a great sigh, and tried once more.

**Thud.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_(Meanwhile... in the Hidden Star Village.)_

He was hot.

He was hot and tired.

He was hot, sticky, and tired.

Sasuke had had just about enough of his current mission. It couldn't really even be called a mission! It was more like he was a slave to the people. Of course, their own ninja couldn't degraded themselves to do D-rank missions, so they call in an ally.

This was a waste of his amazing talents! He could do so much more then digging in gardens, and planting in fields! It angered him to no end!

So Sasuke was fuming. His bitterness at his pathetic mission was piling inside of him.

And he knew just the person to take it out on.

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**Authors notes: Sorry for the wait. Been busy.**

**Thanks to my reviewers, for giving me over 300 reveiw's:**

**angelfox13, gin-inu, Heartless Ghost, BasicallyAnIdiot, If-This-Disturbes-You-Then-Walk-Away, Gaara's desert blossom, Xinoria, im eternal bliss dont doubt me, Chica De La Luna Fantasma, jiraiya's fangirl, Puppyeye1, SabakuNoBrandye, sweetangel823, RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake, Naraku's Phoenix, loves-winged-dark-angel, Gelayel, .Twilight.Valley., Hao'sAnjul, shloop, Forehead-Girl, Sora, The angel of the sky, JCK, slaymyheart, Poison's Ivy, Scarlet-chan, Calcifer the all Mighty, Kyo-my-Love, XmyXdyingXheart, inuyashaHELP, sarah, Kaurine IL and StugglingArtist.**

**Thanks for being patient. I love you guys. I think there is only going to be one chapter left. It makes me sad. But you can't draw a story out forever, especially since no one appreciates humorous OCC. -shrugs- **

**blackXheart**

**Kyo-my-Love: I love you so much! -hugs- Your reviews inspire me.**


	10. Was it a dream?

**Disclaimer- Haven't we been through this? I'll own Naruto when the sky is green and cows can fly. **

**More OCC! You have been warned, so don't complain. Just remember, Gaara isn't really Gaara, and Sasuke's insane. **

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**(Dream)**

_I lay flat as I watched the new nurse go back and forth, doing her respective duties. _

_I had tried to talk to her. Tried to find out what why I was here, what they thought was wrong with me. But she had been as silent as stone. I had given up after about two minutes of trying to coax her._

_It was just so frustrating! How could I get any answers this way? _

_I felt tears starting to gather in my eyes. I was ashamed to cry, but I couldn't control myself. This seemed to catch the nurses attention. _

_"Now, now." Her voice was panicking slightly. "There's no need to cry... everything will be fine."_

_I just sobbed harder at her words. _

_"Please don't cry! The man will be upset if he learned you were crying!" That made me quiet, but my tears still fell. _

_"What man?" I asked. _

_"The handsome red head that was here a few weeks ago." The nurse clasp her hands under her chin and her eyes sparkled. I tried really hard not to puke at her love-sick expression. _

_"Gaara?"_

_"Hai, Gaara-san." The woman walked out the door with light steps and sighed dreamily in the hallway. _

_"Geez, I wonder what kind of - yawn- impression he made." I muttered sarcastically to myself, stretching._

_Curling up in my blankets, I drifted off to "sleep."_

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The sun was shining brightly through my window. I moaned as I drew my pillow over my face to try and block out the light. "Five more minutes." I groaned into my fluffy, temporary shade. A very faint chuckle reached my ears, causing me to look out from my nest of blankets.

"Oh, hey Gaara." I said with a small smile, slightly upset that I hadn't gotten five more minutes of sleep like I'd promised myself.

"Good Morning." He shook his head. "Or should I say afternoon."

I sat up suddenly. "Are you serious?"

I was given a nod of confirmation. "Aw man! I missed training!" I said with an angry pout.

"No you didn't." Gaara said with a smirk. "It's Saturday, and we had plans."

I titled my head. "We did? We did!" I remembered! Sort of.

"My, my, aren't we the forgetful one this morning." I couldn't reply as the fact I was promptly pulled out of bed.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Gaara? Is the blindfold really necessary I asked sharply. Unfortunately, the edge in my voice had no affect on the body that was pulling through... well, I really don't know where we were.

"If you want it to be a surprise, then yes." I swear he must have been smirking. "It's only a bit farther."

I sighed in defeat, and allowed myself to be pulled along to who knows where.

After about ten five minutes of walking in silence, Gaara spoke. "Here we are."

"Finally!" I ripped off the cloth covering my eyes and gasped in amazement.

Gaara had lead me to a moderately sized pond in the forests outside of Konoha. The mid-afternoon sun made the water glitter in an almost blinding way, while the trees framed the sky above us.

"I found this about a week ago." Gaara said softly. "Thought you might like it."

I breathed in deep, taking in the clean air. "It's beautiful."

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gaara smirk. I just rolled my eyes at his arrogant ways. He thinks he knows me so well. Humph.

Shaking my head, I asked, "So... now what?"

"We can just sit if you want."

I nodded with a smile, nature is a thing I will never tire of. "That'd be nice."

As I was about to plop onto the ground, Sasuke dropped down in front of us with an furious look on his face.

"Sasuke?" I asked incredulously.

"Sakura! I've come to help you!" Sasuke said quickly as he glanced around nervously.

"Sasuke." Gaara growled out.

Sasuke glared at Gaara with hatred. "Oh. It's you." Grabbing my arm, Sasuke pulled my away from Gaara.

I wiggled my arm out of his grasp and joined Gaara in glaring at him. "Sasuke! What's wrong with you?"

Pulling my arm again, Sasuke replied. "You don't get it, Sakura!" He gave Gaara a spiteful look, "This guy is dangerous!"

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" I wasn't quite yelling, was I?

"Sakura!" Sasuke growled angrily through his clenched teeth. "I'll protect you! Just come with me!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed, and he automatically bared his fangs at the emotionally screwed up ninja as he yanked me away at the same time.

"Do not address her." He spoke in a deadly quiet voice. "She's not your concern any longer."

I gasped in surprise, and disappointment. "Gaara, wait-"

"Stay out of this, Sakura!" Both Sasuke and Gaara spoke at the same time, while getting into attack positions.

**Crash.**

"Sakura!" Naruto fell as the limb he was perched on broke, such a distraction pulled everyone's attention from the matter at hand. After landing heavily on his back, Naruto jumped up, his back facing Sasuke and Gaara.

"Sasuke's planning something! I just know it! You see, I'vebeentrappedinhisbasementwithshortpeopleandittookmethislongtogetout!ButnowI'vecometosaveyou!" Naruto spoke fast and made wild gestures with his hands. "I have to get you out of here, now!"

"You're too late Naruto!" Sasuke smirked that stupid smirk of his. "As soon as I kill Gaara here, I'll be taking Sakura to live with me. After all... " He grinned evilly. "I need someone to help restore my clan in a few years."

This statement sent Gaara's sand spraying all around us sporadically, while my jaw just dropped in shock.

"Shut... up." Gaara growled dangerously low.

"Why?" Sasuke taunted. "Can't stand the truth?"

"Sasuke! That's not the best thing to say right now!" I said frantically, after waking from my mental stupor.

Before Sasuke could even laugh, he was encased in a cocoon of sand.

"Desert coffin." Gaara's hand was stretched out, his eyes were shadowed from my view. But I could feel the murderous intent that radiated from him.

"I said, shut... up." With those words, Gaara closed his fist tightly.

"Desert funeral!"

It rained blood as Naruto and I stared in shock. Sasuke's life force created small pools all over the ground. It got on our clothes, in out hair, and mingled with our tears.

"Why you-! Just who do you think you are?" Naruto yelled in frustration and anguish as he charged in fury at Gaara, who was as still as stone.

But before I could even blink, Naruto was also enclosed in sand.

"Gaara no!" I screamed as I sank to my knees, my arm outstretched toward him. "Haven't you done enough?"

His eyes caught mine. They were wild and crazy orbs of jade. I could tell the wall that kept his sanity in check had crumbled. There was no way to go back now.

Then, his eyes changed. They were no longer the eyes I knew to be his.

"Mine." He ground the words out almost animalisticly, giving me feral grin while releasing Naruto from his sand.

"Oh crap." I turned on my heel and started to run as fast as I could. Pumping chakra into my legs tripled my speed, but I could hear Gaara right behind me.

"Oh Sakura!" My name was called in a singsong voice that I wasn't familiar with.

So I pushed myself harder.

"Sakura!"

I hear trees snapping and crashing behind me and complete fear gripped my throat.

_'Just keep running. Breath.' _I repeated this to myself I don't know how many times. Passing tree after tree, I'm not sure how long I ran. Maybe 10 minutes, maybe an hour. I felt like I had run 50 miles.

Now, running for a long time can get tiring. Running with chakra drains you even faster. That's when the thought hit me. The tiny detail I had yet to work out of my running plan.

Where the hell was I going?

The thought dropped like a rock into my stomach, stopping me dead in my tracks. I panted heavily, and darted my eyes everywhere to try to find a place to hide.

"My cherry blossom! Where have you gone?" That voice was calling for me again. It seemed so cold, it chilled my blood and froze my limbs.

I tried to push myself to get going again, but my body was exhausted. I closed my eyes and resigned my fate.

The trees behind me crashed down.

"My flower, you stopped running." Bile rose in the back of my throat. Turning, I looked at the person... no. Monster that had ruined my life.

It didn't even look like Gaara anymore.

I took in brownish red hair, haunting yellow eyes, and a sickening smirk.

The man spoke, "Sakura? Don't you want to be with me?" His gaze was pitiful, for a moment, I felt sorry for this person.

But that was before a hand of sand wrapped around my neck tightly, cutting off my air supply.

"You don't think I trained you for no reason?" He spat out. "Did you think I was really your friend?" Snarling angrily, the sand threw me with great force into a tree behind me.

My vision blurred, and started to darken.

"You're mine." Was the last thing I heard before the world went black.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

I woke with a start and instantly fought against the tight hold the blanket had on me. Somehow, it had wound all the way around me and made me feel suffocated.

After untangling myself, I took in familiar surroundings. White walls, IV stand, charts with nurses names on them, and Gaara. He appeared to be sleeping in a chair next to my bed. But, he looked... older.

"G-Gaara?" My voice was thick with sleep and had a very tired tone to it.

He flinched, and opened his jade eyes. "Sakura?" His face was written with relief. "You're all right!" He stood and sat next to me on the small mattress.

"What happened?" I asked, as I slowly sat up rubbing away the headache that threatened to come.

Gaara looked slightly uncomfortable, but spoke anyway. "There was an accident."

I sat in shock. "What kind of accident?"

He coughed nervously. "Well, we were walking across the street, and some guy out of nowhere just hit you."

I was confused. _'That's not what I remembered happening.' _

"Hit me with what? Taijutsu? Ninjutsu?"

It was Gaara's turn to be confused. "Taijutsu? No." He shook his head and gave me criticizing stare. "He hit you with his car."

"Car?" I had heard of such things, but I've never actually seen one.

"Yeah, you were in a coma for six weeks." He looked guilty. "I was out of town when you started to drift in and out of consciousness a few days ago. I just got back and I came right to see you."

"But what about Sasuke and Naruto? The fight?" I was couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"Who's Sasuke and Naruto?" Gaara asked with a jealous look on his face. I just stared at him.

"You've gotta be kidding, right?"

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Um, no." But then he smiled. "Maybe it was just a dream you had?"

I didn't think so. It was so real... I could remember anything from any day. "I guess you're right." No, he wasn't.

"Well, now that you're better. We don't have to cancel the wedding!" He smiled brightly at me. It was very frightening. I wasn't used to seeing Gaara smile. He didn't seem to be the type to smile a whole lot, and for the small amount of time I really saw him, I could see that he-

"Wait a second!" Shock flooded into me, thrashing around in my stomach like a snake. "Wedding?"

Gaara froze, his eyes showing concern. "Yes. We're getting married in two weeks." He gave me a quizzical look. "Don't you remember?"

"Before I answer," I lifted a hand to my temple to try to rub away a coming headache. "How old am I?"

"Twenty-two." I swallowed hard.

It was all just a dream? I don't know if I could believe that. It was so real. I could touch him, see him. Every single detail was carved into my memory.

But then again, this seemed real too. Gaara was sitting right next to me. I could touch him, see him, even feel his body heat. Which one was real?

What should I believe?

"I remember."

Sighing happily, he pulled me in for a hug and nuzzled my neck. "I missed you so much! I was so worried." He placed a gentle kiss on the junction where my neck muscle met my shoulder.

_'The same place where Gaara bit me... '_ I remembered.

"Yeah, I missed you too." I reluctantly hugged him back as I stared dumbfounded at the wall over Gaara's shoulder, and I didn't feel the smirk against my neck.

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Shukaku smirk against Sakura's neck. Inhaling the unique scent that was hers and hers alone.

Staring at the wall, jade orbs flashed yellow as he thought. _'Genjutsu complete.'_

**The End. **

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**Author's notes: I do realize I lost interest and drive with this story. Hopefully I'll do better in the future. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers! You made it possible for me to finish this story-**

**Gaara's desert blossom, **fair charity**, Kisshi-chan, **StrugglingArtist**, Kyo-my-Love, **Shadow Kunoichi**, Chica De La Luna Fantasma, **Gina01**, I play wid fir3,** BasicallyAnIdiot**, Gaara's-pandachan101, **xneji-gaarax**, Heartless Ghost, **angelfox13**, EvilFaerie17, **RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake**, Kakurine IL, **Inulover4eva**, loves-winged-dark-angel, **gaaralova**, drenchedinblood, **the answer is 42**, Gelayel, **Puppyeye1**, ridinstarr, **inuyashaHELP**, WhenYouFell, **Willow569**, Hao'sAnjul, **Aya Marie-chan**, and 666-anti-christ.**

**I hope this ending makes up for the last chapter. **

**Until next time. **

**blackXheart**


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